Decreased L-tryptophan concentration in distinctive brain regions of mice treated repeatedly with phencyclidine

Anal Bioanal Chem. 2013 Oct;405(25):8137-41. doi: 10.1007/s00216-013-7010-2. Epub 2013 May 11.

Abstract

It has been reported that repeated phencyclidine (PCP) treatment induces schizophrenia-like behavior in mice. L-Tryptophan (Trp) concentrations in brain tissues of control (n = 8) and PCP-treated mice (10 mg/kg/day, s.c., 14 days, n = 10) were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. The HPLC method involved pre-column fluorescence derivatization with (R)-(-)-4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-7-(3-isothiocyanatopyrrolidin-1-yl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-PyNCS). Eight different parts of the brain, namely, the frontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, striatum, hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus, and cerebellum, of both groups were investigated. A significant decrease in the L-Trp concentration in the nucleus accumbens (p = 0.024) and hippocampus (p = 0.027) was observed in PCP-treated mice, suggesting that alteration of the L-Trp metabolism might occur in these brain parts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / drug effects*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / adverse effects
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / pharmacology*
  • Isothiocyanates
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Oxadiazoles
  • Phencyclidine / adverse effects
  • Phencyclidine / pharmacology*
  • Schizophrenia / chemically induced
  • Tryptophan / analysis
  • Tryptophan / metabolism*

Substances

  • 4-(3-isothiocyanatopyrrolidin-1-yl)-7-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists
  • Isothiocyanates
  • Oxadiazoles
  • Tryptophan
  • Phencyclidine